Realization
by JC-zala
Summary: When Yuya Sakaki first realized that he no longer just saw Yuzu Hiragi as a friend, it had been one heck of an emotional roller coaster.


**JC:**Finally I'm done with my Fruitshipping fic! I got side-tracked by Braceletshipping a couple of times. It doesn't mean that I love Fruitshipping any less. Who can resist Tomato-boy and Citrus-girl? And I'm a sucker for childhood friends too. I'm still debating whether or not to write a multi-chaptered fic for Arc V. I can't still wrap my brain around a plot, but an idea has been brewing. Putting that aside first, let's go on with this story. Ladies and Gentlemen, I now present you a Fruitshipping story!

**Disclaimer:**I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC V and its characters. All rights belong to Kazuki Takahashi.

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><p><strong>Realization<strong>

When Yuya Sakaki first realized that he no longer just saw her as a friend, it had been one heck of an emotional roller coaster. He was fresh from arduous parkour training at You Show Duel School, and it was at the moment he threaded to the locker room when he heard two familiar voices conversing not too far from where he was.

"You like Yuzu, don't you?"

Yuya paused at the mention of the name, and he turned just in time to see two figures walking around the corner toward his direction. He quickly went inside a vacant room to hide himself, leaving the door slightly open so that he could eavesdrop on the conversation.

Yuto's face came into view, the incandescent light illuming his sharp opal eyes and spiky black-purple hair, a complete palette swap of his crimson red eyes and green-red unruly crown of a hair. Aside from the looks, Yuto was definitely more serious and level-headed.

"I've seen the way you look at her," the other person spoke up. He had his back turned to where Yuya was hiding, so his face wasn't visible. But Yuya knew it was none other than Shun Kurosaki.

"She's just one of our comrades," Yuto said wistfully. "I can't like her that way."

Yuya couldn't help remembering Sora's admonitions to him before about another guy stealing her away, and there was something in Yuto's eyes now that suggested he was restraining himself from pursuing Yuzu. She was certainly very beautiful, and her kindness and strength were very alluring. Then he realized, as he thought of Yuzu, that he had just admitted that she was attractive. He had not bothered to have these kinds of views about her before since she had always been there as his friend and pillar of support.

"You can't? Or you just won't?" Shun sighed, shaking his head in disappointment, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "What is stopping you? Is it because she doesn't like you that way? You won't know unless you try."

"I'm in love with Yuzu," Yuto said without hesitation. "There's no doubt about that. But she…"

There was a moment of silence, where the spying and curious Yuya slowly took in the scene unfolding before him.

"It's Sakaki Yuya, isn't it?" Shun broke the silence, and Yuya blinked in surprised as Yuto looked away. "They're the best of friends and that's it. For all I know, Sakaki Yuya doesn't even have the slightest clue. He's too absorbed in his Entertainment World to even notice her."

A nerve was struck. What the hell did Shun mean by that? He made it sound like he was an ignorant child. And how could he not notice Yuzu? She was his friend since they were little. She had always been there for him, even at his lowest, so there was no way he couldn't notice her presence, her smiles, her warmth. Then he paused, regaining his composure in an instant. For a moment there, he had the sudden urge to barge out of the room to give Shun a piece of his mind.

"I don't think we're ready to be dating yet, Shun," Yuto reasoned out.

Wait, back up. So Yuto wanted to date Yuzu? Yuya felt like hitting his head. Of course, he would want to date her! Yuto did just say he was in love with her.

"Are you just going to give up?" Shun said in a rough tone.

Yuto looked up to him seriously. "No… I'm not going to give up," he said with conviction. "I'll tell her soon."

Shun let out a sigh. "I'm not even sure why I'm concerning myself with this."

"I'm not surprised," Yuto replied, a smirk curving his lips. "She has your sister's face after all."

Shun shrugged. "Just do what you have to do. I know you can give her what Sakaki Yuya can't."

Unable to resist the temptation to intervene, Yuya reached for the doorknob, only to be stopped by a familiar voice from behind.

"Not a good idea."

Yuya turned quickly around to meet the green eyes of none other than the fusion-specialist, Sora Shiun'in. Enjoying a bar of Cadbury chocolate, the teal-haired young boy sat on one of the couches there. "Sora, how long have you been here?" he asked, a bit flustered.

"I told you before, didn't I?" Sora started, blatantly ignoring the question, as he hopped off the couch and waltzed towards Yuya playfully. "You should get her before another guy does." He gave a wink and walked past him to peer outside. "Oh, look, they're gone."

"Sora, what do you mean by that?"

Sora gave Yuya one of his mischievous smiles. "Yuto's tough competition and if it weren't for him, then Kurosaki Shun would probably…" He stopped himself with a snicker. "If I were older, I would have a go too! Good luck, Yuya!" With that, he left, leaving an astonished tomato head behind.

"I don't get it," Yuya mumbled, scratching his head in frustration. "I don't get it at all."

And he was bothered by such thoughts even after he changed out of his gym clothes. Despite trying to distract himself with schoolwork minutes later, which was a miracle for him, he still couldn't get Yuto's declaration and Sora's teasing out of his head.

"You got the answers wrong for problem no. 3 and 9," a familiar voice said right next to his ear, making him jump from his seat.

"Yuzu!" he squeaked, inching away from her face.

"You used the wrong formula there," Yuzu insisted, still focused on his homework. Better on his homework than his face at the moment, since he was pretty sure his cheeks were as red as the lower part of his hair. "Honestly, were you even listening to the teacher today?"

"I was trying my best not to doze off," Yuya said with a nervous chuckle. "But I got the other problems right, didn't I? Cut me some slack here, Yuzu."

She still looked incredibly cute even when pouting, Yuya mused, taking the pleasure to indulge her features. Dark pink hair in pigtails, with lighter pink hair cupping her small face, and two orbs blue as the summer sky—everything about her face was such an appeal to the eyes. And don't get him started on her figure…

WAIT A MINUTE! DID HE JUST OGLE HIS BEST FRIEND?!

She folded her arms over her chest. "I guess I'll give you some credit. You usually wait for me to finish my homework so you can copy it."

"You're better at studying than me," Yuya told her, mentally composing himself, as he watched her putting out her notes and books. "By the way, where were you? You didn't come to training today."

"Sawatari…" was her simple reply before she opened her notes.

And Yuya raised a brow. "What did he do this time?"

"Treated me to tea and snacks at that newly opened café by the bookstore," Yuzu promptly replied, sitting down, gaze locked on her homework. "He wouldn't shut up about it, so I went along."

"Only you and Sawatari…?" As soon as he imagined the two of them sitting together at a café, Yuya clenched his fists and seethed silently. "Why did you go with him? You could have refused like you always do."

Yuzu scribbled down the answers on her notebook. "You and I both know he's not such a bad guy," she said coolly. "He does make his advances on me in the most conspicuous way possible. Heck, the entire school already knows he's into me, but I'm always honest with him. I talked it over with him at the café." She stopped scribbling and slanted Yuya a glance under those generous lashes of hers. "But he told me he's not the type to give up easily."

Then it dawned on him. Yuya never noticed it before since Sawatari was too flamboyant for him to understand. Sawatari was the same as Yuto. No wonder Sawatari would act like a rabid dog whenever he or Yuto would get close to Yuzu. "Does he…Does he have a chance with you?" He was almost afraid to ask and to know the answer.

She looked away, flushing lightly, as she clutched her chest. "I…I already have someone I like," she confessed hesitantly.

His chest squeezed tight and he found himself feeling depressed. "You have someone you like…" He then barked out a laugh. "I feel sorry for the guy though, to have such a crude girl crushing on him," he joked, masking the sudden irritation he felt.

Annoyed with such a remark, Yuzu whipped out her paper fan and whacked his head hard. "You didn't have to say it like that!" she exclaimed. "Who do you think I am?!" A hint of unease flickered through her eyes.

He backed away from her, holding up both hands in mocking surrender. "Kidding! Just kidding!" He chuckled. "Anyway… Got any plans on telling the lucky guy?" He really didn't want to ask something that was making him oddly comfortable, but he was also rather curious. Could it be Yuto?

Yuzu frowned. "I don't want to make things awkward for him and I'm pretty sure he doesn't like me that way."

Her words hung in the air between them until Yuya clipped a hand on her shoulder and said, "You won't know unless you try." And he suddenly felt like washing his mouth with soap for repeating Shun's words earlier. Of course, he was just being a good friend to her by giving her an advice and encouragement, but it was getting harder to breath normally with his emotions storming inside him. He couldn't quite explain the bitter feeling.

"No...It's not going to work…" Yuzu tore her gaze away from him, looking more dejected. "And I think I have to get over him."

She must really like the guy, Yuya thought sadly. As a friend he should support her, but he found himself wishing she'd get over him as soon as possible. The thought of Yuzu crushing on another guy didn't bode well for him, especially if it turned out to be Yuto. There was Sawatari to worry about as well. Will she accept Sawatari more now that she was planning to move on?

He seemed quiet that night when he finally went home. And despite having a delicious meal, he spoke so little. As he was about to retire to his room, his mother Yoko asked if he had been feeling unwell. He assured her he was fine, but a mother's intuition could never go wrong. She had noticed it too well, and it concerned her. Something had been bothering Yuya, and Yoko had seen him fussing over his Duel Disk with Yuzu's caller ID flashed on the screen.

"Did you and Yuzu get into a fight?" Yoko asked, more like guessing just to get her son to talk.

He shook his head and released a deep sigh. He told his mother about Yuto's declaration, Sora's teasing, and Yuzu's revelation, and shared his own feelings. He even told her about Yuzu's little date with Sawatari. And as he finished, he wondered if there was anything wrong with his heart too. But his mother was smiling at him, and she didn't seem disturbed.

"Yuzu's more than a friend to you," Yoko started, giving her son's shoulders a gentle squeeze, as she gazed softly into his crimson red eyes. "You want her to appreciate you and be with you. And you're worried those other boys are a threat to you."

Yuya felt a little more confused. "More than a friend? How could she be more than a friend to me? We've known each since we were little and we've been through a lot together."

"And she has always been special to you."

He paused for a moment, letting the words sink in, and admitted to himself that Yuzu was indeed special to him.

"You'll realize it soon enough," Yoko said with eyes full of a woman's wisdom.

As he went to bed that night, he was worried. What if she doesn't get over the guy? What if the guy she likes was Yuto? If Yuto would confess, then they'll be officially together. What about Sawatari? Would he give up if Yuzu finally goes out with Yuto? This conflicting feeling was so confusing.

But by midnight, after putting much thought on Yuto and Yuzu's current relationship, his mother's words came to haunt him once more. He sat up on bed and realized that he had been jealous. Since that was the case it could only mean one thing.

"Do I like her…?"

* * *

><p>Yuya was on his way to Yuzu's house the next day. He could no longer remember if he'd eaten breakfast, or if he had, what it had been. It seemed all his concerns and newfound feelings for Yuzu preoccupied most of his mind. He was just trying to decide whether his feelings were real or not, as he rounded a corner, pulling out his Duel Disk out of his pocket to check the time. Then he almost collided with a girl who seemed to appear out of nowhere. He jumped back in time, startled, dropping his Duel Disk as she watched him.<p>

The girl, who happened to be Yuzu out of all people, placed a closed hand on her waist and gave him a strange look. "What are you spacing around for?" she questioned.

There was something striking about her, and beautiful, and he couldn't help gawking at her as she knelt down to gather his Duel Disk and discarded cards on the concrete ground.

"I…I was just thinking," he managed to reply, still rooted in place, as she handed him his disk and cards. "Thanks…"

"About the test today?" Yuzu said, and Yuya just blinked at her. "You'll do fine. We've reviewed enough yesterday." Her smile was powerful, strong, and her eyes were so clear and blue. He felt like a kid as he stared at her. She walked off, smiling at him again over her shoulder. "Come on or we'll be late."

She was all he could think about as they walked to school. Test, Duels, Cards—all of them were pushed to the back of his mind. He couldn't even concentrate on their conversation. It was ridiculous. Yuzu was his best friend, but he was having a hard time acting normal with her now. But as he watched her greet their classmates and schoolmates along the way, he couldn't have explained why, but he felt a kind of longing for her. He wanted to hold her hand or embrace her.

"Hiragi Yuzu, a pleasant morning to you!"

And there he was, the resident rich boy vying for her affection, Shingo Sawatari, who also happened to be his rival in Dueling. Running a smooth hand through his brown-blonde hair, he flashed the girl with a handsome yet cocky smile.

"Good morning to you too, Sawatari," Yuya greeted, half-smiling, as he felt extremely cautious of Sawatari.

"I wasn't talking to you, Sakaki Yuya," Sawatari said with a shrug before he put on his best face for Yuzu. "So, how is my dear Yuzu today?"

"Call me that again and I'll hit you," Yuzu warned, tapping the paper fan on her shoulder. "Seriously…What will make you give up?"

"You're single and ready to mingle," Sawatari replied enthusiastically. "You're not going out with anyone yet, so I still have a chance. I already told you that I'm not the type to give up easily."

Yuzu's gaze softened. "Sawatari…"

All Yuya could think of was how much Sawatari wanted her, and without another moment, Sawatari reached out and held her hand. Murmuring her name in a tender, sensual voice, Sawatari gently kissed the back of her palm.

Yuya hadn't been prepared for it, and he was totally surprised, yet she didn't push him away or hit him with the paper fan. And then he found her blushing a bit. His heart ached. At that point, he wanted nothing more but to pull Sawatari away from her. Biting his lower lip, he looked away. Sawatari was serious, a lot more serious than he knew.

"Okay, that's enough," Yuya interrupted before Sawatari could spout sweet words again. A firm mask had claimed over his face as he pulled Yuzu to his side. "We have to prepare for an exam, you know, so see you later, Sawatari!" He smiled playfully and ran off, dragging a reluctant Yuzu behind him and leaving an irritated Sawatari.

"Hey!" She almost tripped trying to keep up with him. "Yuya! Slow down!" And when she almost tripped again, she jerked her hand from his grasp. "What's with you?! And this isn't the way to the classroom." Clearly they were at the back of the school.

The mask had fallen off, and Yuya took comfort in the fact he had his back facing her. "I figured I needed to save Sawatari from your wrath," he said, lowering the goggles to his eyes, as he faced her with a goofy smile.

She raised a brow. "I wasn't going to beat him up."

"Are you really going to give him a chance?" And he wanted to ask her about Yuto as well.

"Yuya, we've talked about this yesterday." She had already told him that she planned to forget about her feelings for a certain guy. "You don't have to worry about it."

He lifted his goggles, staring straight into her blue eyes, and everything he felt for her seemed to pour through him. "Yuzu...I think… I think you should tell the guy…" He was almost whispering and then he couldn't stop himself from talking. "What if he likes you back? If he doesn't, then it proves that he's not the one for you. It will be fair to Sawatari too." And to Yuto…

"I don't need to hear this from you," Yuzu said quietly, tightening her grasp around the handle of her school bag.

"At least you'll have a proper closure as well. You can move on without any—"

"This is my problem! I'll deal with it alone." As she said all that, there were slight tears in her eyes, and Yuya saw it. Without saying a word to her, he pulled her into his arms and held her.

"I'm sorry… I was just trying to help," he cooed, and she trembled in his arms. "I'm always here for you, Yuzu, for as long as you need me."

"Just stop…" she said through her tears. "Stop…or else I won't be able to move on."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Sorry for yelling a while ago," Yuzu muttered, pulling away, and he was actually reluctant to surrender her warmth. "Come on, let's head to class now before the bell rings."

As he watched her thread the path to the school building, he realized then how much he wanted her. He wondered if it was all right for him to have these kinds of feelings for his best friend, wondered if it was okay for him to tell her and risk their friendship. He felt like he was eating his own words. However, in his case, he knew fully well that Yuzu liked another guy.

* * *

><p>It took a good amount of effort not to screw up the test that morning, and he was thankful to Yuzu for helping him a lot yesterday. Although classes went on normally afterwards, he couldn't shake off his feelings and concerns about her. Their teachers certainly had called him more than twice due to his absentmindedness, and Yuzu had often helped him get right on track with the lessons to avoid getting him into more trouble. When lunch time came, Yuya felt more mentally exhausted than usual and needed food to recharge his brain cells. He was going to invite Yuzu to eat lunch on the roof when an unexpected rival appeared.<p>

True enough, Yuto was a foe worth mentioning, considering how much he treasured Yuzu. In addition to that, they had the same face. Judging from the 3 stacks of boxes in his arms, Yuto was running errands for the teacher.

"Let me help you with that," Yuzu offered, gracing him with a smile, as she walked up to him.

Yuya remembered Yuto's words yesterday and felt uneasy.

"There's no need," Yuto assured, smiling a smile reserved only for her as Yuya have noticed. "They're not that heavy."

"Oh, I don't feel comfortable seeing you carry those all by yourself," Yuzu said, taking one box off his hands. "No buts!" Yuzu told him off before he could protest.

Yuto sighed, knowing he could never win against her, and just complied. "Thank you."

Yuzu glanced over her shoulder to look at Yuya and said, "Go eat without me."

"I suddenly lost my appetite," Yuya mumbled under his breath. As he watched them talking, giggling, and smiling at each other, he found himself simmering. He was getting more convinced that Yuzu's special guy was Yuto, so he decided to stalk them.

It was when they were done delivering the boxes to the staff room where he heard the two conversing about a certain topic. And they had headed to the school yard to talk about it properly, without anyone disturbing them. Of course, Yuya had to be extra careful not to get caught as he hid behind a bush not too far from them.

"I like that about you," Yuto said calmly. "There are a lot of things I like about you, Yuzu."

Yuzu was silent for a moment and then she nodded. "You've been good to me, Yuto, and I'm really glad to have met you." She took his hand in between hers, squeezing it gently, as she gazed at him dotingly. "But I… I…"

"It's all right," Yuto told her, equally soft and tender with her. "At least, I got my feelings across, and I'm flattered you think of me that way."

"You seem to be handling it pretty well, all things considered," Yuzu said sadly.

"Things happen for a reason. What's important here is to stay true to yourself."

She hesitated and then smiled, obviously happy. "I guess I have to stay true to myself all the way. Thank you, Yuto."

Yuya shook his head, unable to understand all the complicated ins and outs of the situation, and his heart felt like it was going to burst any second. He might not have heard everything, but it was clear to him that they've just confessed to one another. He should not have followed them at all. He should not have eavesdropped on their conversation.

He put on his goggles and silently slipped away. He looked back after gaining some distance. The two chatted for a while, and eventually they stood up. As Yuto looked longingly at her, she smiled and turned to leave.

So, he was right, Yuto was the special guy, and Yuzu finally told him how she felt. As a friend, he should be happy for the both of them. It was only natural. But all he could feel was jealousy and bitterness inside. He didn't want to feel such negative emotions. "Yuzu, I'm sorry… But I…I just can't be happy about this…for now…"

And he didn't talk to her up until the end of classes when he heard her calling out to him. By the time she came out of the classroom, he already had his goggles on.

"You've been awfully quiet and you didn't even sleep in class," Yuzu said. "And those goggles… Did something happen?"

You happened, he thought wryly. "Sorry, but I don't want to talk about it for now," Yuya said in a slightly cold tone. "Can you tell the principal that I won't be going to You Show School today? I'm not really up for it."

"Then let me throw your words back at you," she said, touching the round of his shoulder. "I'm always here for you, Yuya, as long as you need me."

Yuya's eyes widened behind his goggles. Yuzu knew better when to pry into his business and when to give him space. He admired the fact she could be so understanding and thoughtful of him in spite of her straightforward personality.

"I don't know what happened, but I'll listen to you when you're ready to talk," she said, smiling up at him, before she pivoted on her heel. "I'll see you tomorrow, Yuya!"

He stood there, watching her go away, thinking she was probably on her way to Yuto. It hadn't been that long since he realized his feelings for his friend and already he felt like giving up. She belonged to Yuto now, so what other choice did he have? He couldn't simply force his feelings upon her. If only he had realized it sooner she would probably have chosen him instead. In addition to feeling sorry for himself, his heart also reached out to his fellow rival, Sawatari.

* * *

><p>Wanting nothing better to do than to lock himself in his own room, Yuya sneaked into the house as quietly as possible. No matter how good of an entertainer he was or no matter how much he could feign happiness, his mother could always tell if there was something bothering him. Stealthily like a ninja, he climbed up to his room and went in to take a breather, not expecting to see someone else there.<p>

"You weren't at You Show School today."

Yuya gasped in surprise. "What are you doing here, Yugo?" He found himself staring at another look-alike. Yugo had blue spiky hair adorned with golden bangs, and his aqua-blue eyes complimented his clear complexion. Of course, he was nothing like Yuto, personality-wise, but definitely still interesting and strong as a Turbo Duelist.

Yugo was lying comfortably on his bed.

"H-How did you—" Yuya cut himself off, thinking it was stupid of him to ask since he was fully aware that Yugo was very chummy with his mother and had been welcomed in his home. "I wasn't feeling well…that's why." He sank down in bed, burying his face into the pillow.

"Yuzu did say something like that," Yugo recalled. "Then why didn't you head straight home after school?"

Truth to be known, Yuya had been wandering the streets aimless since he left school. He simply didn't know what to do.

"Hmm…Yuzu also did say you've been acting weird ever since lunch period ended," Yugo decided to bring up, which only earned him one annoyed look from Yuya. "By the way, our XYZ-version walked Yuzu home today. I could have escorted her easily on my Duel Runner. Damn, that Yuto always gets in the way."

Yuya involuntarily groused. Oh, yes, how could he forget about Yugo? His Synchro-version was a shameless flirt when it came to Yuzu as well. He was a natural charmer.

"And that Sora kid even had the nerve to tell me that Yuto and Yuzu look good together," Yugo grumbled, sitting up on the bed.

"I don't need to hear this," Yuya said in a strained voice.

Blue eyes lit up in excitement. "You jealous?"

Yuya jerked his gaze away, looking guiltily. "W-What if I am?" There he said it! There was no point in denying anymore.

Though a bit surprised by the declaration, Yugo reached out and ruffled his hair roughly. "You just admitted that you like her!" he chimed. "Took you long enough! Any plans on telling her?"

"I can't…" Yuya replied gloomily, sitting up. "And it's useless since she's with Yuto now."

Yugo blinked. "With Yuto?" And he seemed like he wanted to laugh out loud all of a sudden. "Yuya, you really are an idiot." He slapped his back hard and hopped off the bed before Yuya could strangle him. "Seriously, you're just complicating things."

Yuya threw a pillow, and Yugo easily dodged it and head to the door instantly. "There's nothing I can do about it anymore," he said, and Yugo stuck out his tongue in response. "And you're not helping!" He threw another pillow, but Yugo quickly used the door as a shield.

"Geez, even the kids are smarter than you," Yugo said, still in a teasing mood. "Get your act together." And with that, he went off his merry way.

Yuya let out a sigh and collapsed into his bed. Get his act together? It would have been better if he had confessed to Yuzu before she got together with Yuto. He didn't want to cause any kind of awkwardness between them.

* * *

><p>The Action Field was raining. Fine, mist-like raindrops were falling from the sky. It was cold, gloomy, and just wet. Yuya did not like it one bit, but he was asked to test out the new field with Yuzu.<p>

In the quiet rainfall, Yuzu's voice sounded like it was an echo from a very distant place, somewhere terribly far away. As he ended her turn, he gazed at the clouded sky. The weather reminded him of a memory of long ago. Yuya remembered it as if it was just yesterday.

Yuzu often comforted him when they were little. On cold, frozen nights by the fireplace or on summer afternoons at the riverbank, she would give him powerful pep talks. For Yuya, her words were strength and inspirations. Yuzu had always been there beside him.

Taking a ride on _Performapal Silver Claw, _he soared through the wet grasslands as Yuzu prepared to attack with _Shopina the Melodious Maestra_ (ATK: 2300). His hands gripped the wolf tightly. Using great speed, he reached out for an Action Card on the field. Unfortunately, the attack connected before he could take it.

_Yuzu's with Yuto now… But I don't want to believe it… It has to be a lie. _

It should not have happened. He should have realized his feelings sooner.

As he fell down, that was all Yuya thought about. The raindrops fell against his face. Above them, the clouded sky spread endlessly. Such a gloomy, grey sky fit for his gloomy, grey mood. The soft grass took the impact out of his fall, so his luck was pretty good.

Or perhaps, it was bad.

It did not matter now.

"You're not your usual self, Yuya."

In the midst of the rain blurring his vision, he saw Yuzu's face hovering over him. He blinked a few times until his eyesight became a little clearer.

"I don't feel like dueling in this kind of weather," he muttered, averting his eyes away.

"But you've been acting strange since yesterday." She knelt down, lowering herself to his level as he sat up. "Can't you tell me what's wrong?"

There was a moment of silence between them, only the pitter-patter of the rain could be heard and the thundering beat of his heart. Then the silence was cut as Yuzu let out a sigh.

"I guess that's enough for today," Yuzu said. "I'll go tell Sora to turn off the field." She turned to take her leave, looking a bit sad and disappointed that he wouldn't tell her what was wrong. As she walked away, he found himself staring dizzyingly at her back. Then, as if there was an invisible force pushing him, he lunged forward and caught her hand. She stopped at contact and curiously peered over her shoulder to look at him. "Yuya?"

Biting his lower lip, he closed his eyes momentarily. The hand he used to hold Yuzu was quivering in anxiety. With his heart beating in his eyes, he looked up to her once more and spoke out the words he wanted to say. "I like you and I know it's kind of pointless…" And he didn't mean this in a self-pity kind of way. It was just the truth of the matter. "I know you're with Yuto now and I respect that…but I want you to know about how I feel."

Yuzu's eyes grew wide as saucers. But Yuya didn't stop right there.

"It won't go anywhere, but I don't want our friendship to end just because of that."

"Did you just confess to me?" Her voice came out in a nervous squeak.

Yuya was almost immobilized by the conflicting emotions rushing through him. Anxiety, love and embarrassment each took a turn at the fore. Finally, he rallied himself to speak. "I'm serious, Yuzu."

"Yuya…I…" She was at lost for words.

"Don't worry… I'm not going to take you away from Yuto."

A cross between bewildered and anger, she clenched her fists. "What are you talking about?! Yuto and I are not in that kind of relationship!"

He raised a brow. "You told me that you like someone and you two are pretty damn close. Are you expecting me to believe that nothing is going on between you guys? Besides, I saw you two confessed at school." He felt a sharp pang in his chest the second he recalled the scene.

"What?" She blushed. "I think you've misunderstood."

"Don't tell me it's Sawatari?" It was jealousy talking now.

Yuzu shook her head violently. "It's not Sawatari and it's not Yuto!"

Yuya's face almost paled. "Don't tell me it's Yugo? Shun perhaps?"

"You're impossible, Yuya!" Yuzu exclaimed, turning on her heel. She was about to stomp away, but Yuya caught her arm and held her back. "Let go of me!" But her voice had lost its witty edge and her face was enigmatic.

"Sorry… I didn't mean to take out my frustrations on you," he said, looking down at his feet, feeling quite thwarted with himself. "This is what I get for not realizing my feelings—" He broke off, his jaw rigid, his hand releasing her arm. "But I really have fallen in love with you, Yuzu."

A charged silence filled the air. The rain had stopped.

"The rain…why did it have to stop now?" she asked quietly.

He gazed upon her pretty face once more, where he saw crystalline tears dripping out of the corners of her eyes. "W-What's wrong?"

She closed her eyes, letting the tears flow down the smooth curves of her cheeks. "I told you… I have someone I like…" she whispered. "And…And I thought it wasn't going to work out because… it's been you this whole time. I love you, Yuya."

He stood frozen, with Yuzu's words swirling in his head. Yuzu was in love with him, and he had to admit that he didn't expect this. He wanted her to love him, not merely as a friend, but more than that. He thought he didn't stand a chance against Yuto. Reeling with insight, he was impervious to the cold wind that swirled around him. He was prepared for rejection, not reciprocation.

"Umm…C-Can you repeat that one more time?" asked Yuya just to be sure.

"Seriously?" Yuzu grimaced, wiping the tears away with one hand. "It's embarrassing, you know."

"Believe me, Yuzu, the last thing I want you to feel right now is embarrassment." He drew in a sharp breath. "If you're not going to say it, I may as well just say it to you. Yuzu, I—" He paused and cleared his throat. "I love you." She flushed bright pink as he took her hands in his. "And I'm saying this because it's the truth."

"Yuya!" Her voice was husky with joy and wonder and her eyes glistened with tears once again. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, giggling and crying at the same time. "I love you too!"

"Music to my ears." Yuya grinned.

She linked her hands around his neck and gazed at him. "And you thought I was in love with Yuto, Yugo, or Sawatari," she said, looking a bit disturbed. "You had the nerve to add Shun into the mix."

Yuya chuckled nervously. "Not a word to Shun, got it?"

They stared at each other for a long moment and then Yuya's mouth was on hers, soft yet hungry and passionate. It was a demand she answered, her lips parting under his, her ardour and urgency matching his own. The more she kissed him, the more he wanted, and when Yuya finally lifted his mouth from hers, Yuzu clung to him.

They were in their own little world until a voice shattered their moment. "Took you long enough! Geez, I was tired of waiting!" The new couple blushed hard and separated. Then Sora appeared on screen, licking a swirly lollipop. "You forgot I was here, didn't you?" He smirked.

Yuya definitely did and, judging from the look on Yuzu's face, she did too. "Couldn't you have just stayed quiet?"

Sora licked his candy. "This is big news! Wait till everyone hears about this."

"Don't you dare, Sora!" Yuzu demanded, unleashing her paper fan as a form of threat.

"Over and out," Sora said with a wink before he logged out.

"That kid," Yuya sighed.

"My father's gonna flip when he hears about this," Yuzu said with a worried smile.

Yuya gave a light-hearted laugh. "Everyone's gonna find out sooner or later."

She let out a pout. "So, you really thought Yuto and I—"

"The guy loves you," Yuya interrupted with a tremulous smile. "I don't blame him and the others for wanting you. I share the same feeling. I understand that they have your best interest at heart. Now I'll just have to convince them that I'm in your best interest." He bent down and kissed her lightly, tenderly, his lips lingering.

She sighed contentedly. "So, where do you want to take me on our first date?"

"Hmm… I'll think about it," he said, smiling at her.

**END**

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><p><strong>JC:<strong>How's that? First time writing Fruitshipping here. And I just had to include Yugo! I want to learn more about him before I can properly write a full story. Judging from the fics and arts going around, it seems like everyone agrees that Yugo will be attracted to Yuzu too. Hehehehe… I won't be surprised. Anyway, I'll be working on a request next, with Yuzu still being the main girl. Please do drop some reviews! No Flaming!


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